Decent quality mini grease gun?

Terry Keeley · Nov 17, 2020

Just spent an hour screwing with a cheap mini grease gun that stopped working. The plunger was all swollen, you'd think they'd make it out of something that was compatible with like, GREASE?

Any recommendations for a decent gun that takes the 3oz cartridges? Also need it to work on the ball type fittings.

All I'm seeing is crap like this:

tmt · Nov 17, 2020

You might try Lincoln or Alemite mini grease guns. They are probably made in China like all the rest, but they may have a little more control on quality vs off-brand models.

EmGo · Nov 17, 2020

Terry Keeley said:
The plunger was all swollen, you'd think they'd make it out of something that was compatible with like, GREASE?

Sorry, but shareholder value, eh ? If the shareholders can make $.13 CAN more per gun by selling crap, well, sorry, that's the way it's gotta be. Saint Milton said so ! Fiduciary responsibility !

Bill D · Nov 17, 2020

Are you saying the entire piston was plastic?
Bill D

Terry Keeley · Nov 17, 2020

tmt said:
You might try Lincoln or Alemite mini grease guns. They are probably made in China like all the rest, but they may have a little more control on quality vs off-brand models.

Looked at Lincoln but didn't see any mini guns, I'll look again tho. Alemite has this, might be worth a shot, thanks: SKF

EmanuelGoldstein said:
Sorry, but shareholder value, eh ? If the shareholders can make $.13 CAN more per gun by selling crap, well, sorry, that's the way it's gotta be. Saint Milton said so ! Fiduciary responsibility !

Ya it sucks. I know I bash on China a lot but they're just feeding the modern consumer's insatiable appetite for cheap, disposable crap. That and corporate greed. They can make good shit but who's gonna buy it?

Bill D said:
Are you saying the entire piston was plastic?
Bill D

The piston was rubber that obviously wasn't compatible with petroleum products, worked OK for a while then warped out of shape and stopped sealing. I'd much rather spend 10X what a cheapy is worth for something that just works and doesn't make a greasy mess after a couple months.

It's a freekin grease gun fer Christ's sake!

edit: The Alamite unit looks the same as the other cheap crap (except double the price of course):

https://www.amazon.com/Alemite-F104-Standard-Pistol-Develops/dp/B009K57EQ4

https://www.amazon.com/Powerbuilt-6...33HNAPYC7F7&psc=1&refRID=SN7WCVQ1B33HNAPYC7F7

Bill D · Nov 17, 2020

The allemite is made in India which seems better then China to me. Are you saying the high pressure piston was plastic or the follower piston or both.
Bill D

Bill D · Nov 17, 2020

If you made a new piston out of metal and used a proper seal you would probably blow up the cylinder casting if the nozzle plugged.
Bill D

Terry Keeley · Nov 17, 2020

Bill D said:
The allemite is made in India which seems better then China to me. Are you saying the high pressure piston was plastic or the follower piston or both.
Bill D

The piston was rubber with a steel backer but it leaked from the get go and not long after wouldn't seal at all. I thought about making a new piston out of delrin but shit-canned the POS instead.

Add to the "sent offshore for corporate greed" crap list:

Plews-Edelmann

Lincoln

Lubrimatic

Alamite

I'm looking at Swiss made Abnox-Wanner but nothing takes the 3 oz cartridge:

Products Small One-hand Pumps mINI WANNER(R)

Hand Push Pump 120 cm3

kb0thn · Nov 18, 2020

Lock-N-Lube sells the Alemite mini grease gun with their nifty locking fitting on it. It has good review on their site.

Alemite F104 Mini Grease Gun Bundle - LOCKNLUBE

What is your application that requires a mini grease gun?

I have a funny / sad story about mini grease guns. I was a contractor for a regional telecom company. Ball joint or tie rod end or something broke on my truck after hours and I needed it for the next morning. So facilities guy helped me change part at their heavy equipment shop. When it came time to lube it up, we went on a hunt for a grease gun. This place had dozers and excavators and boom trucks and loaders and backhoes and all manners of equipment. And all 30+ of the company trucks for the guys who ran that equipment were parked there. We went through it all trying to find a grease gun. Finally found an unopened mini grease gun in a pile of debris that came out of the trunk of a sedan that an office worker drove. The lightbulb went off in the facility guys head on why they bought and sold so much construction equipment. They literally didn't grease anything. When the factory installed grease was used up and the equipment started working poorly, then sent it a few hundred miles for service or bought another one. (Oh, the mini grease gun didn't work either)

gustafson · Nov 18, 2020

Bill D said:
The allemite is made in India which seems better then China to me. Are you saying the high pressure piston was plastic or the follower piston or both.
Bill D

Oh, god no, the Chinese may use Chinese VMCs to make stuff, but India its axes and chisels.

Any place can make quality stuff, but when you are buying cheap, at least 'step up' to China...........

Ohio Mike · Nov 18, 2020

I think the one I've used is a Lucas. I wouldn't say its the best but it is made of something resembling metal and still works after these many years. I think its the same as the Plews brand gun.

Milland · Nov 18, 2020

Well, if any of these look interesting you can always get COO info from McMaster.

McMaster-Carr

Terry Keeley · Nov 18, 2020

Milland said:
Well, if any of these look interesting you can always get COO info from McMaster.

McMaster-Carr

Ya, they're all the same POS outta Woo-dung China as this McMaster part: McMaster-Carr

They range in price anywhere from $10 at Horror Freight: 3 Oz. Mini Grease Gun with Cartridge, to the $49.99 "deal" on the Alemite that's linked above: Alemite F104 Mini Grease Gun Bundle - LOCKNLUBE

Same Alemite on Amazon for 1/2 price with reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Alemite-F104-Standard-Pistol-Develops/dp/B009K57EQ4

Betcha if you bought 100 from the mfg you'd get them for $5 each, friggin' corporate whores...

DDoug · Nov 18, 2020

Form a company "Terry's Billet MiniGrease guns, anodized in all your favorite flavors, Military grade alloys, Approved for Lucas Grease"

Make a run of them, insert a hardened drill bushing for the cylinder.

BT Fabrication · Nov 18, 2020

Terry Keeley said:
Just spent an hour screwing with a cheap mini grease gun that stopped working. The plunger was all swollen, you'd think they'd make it out of something that was compatible with like, GREASE?

Any recommendations for a decent gun that takes the 3oz cartridges? Also need it to work on the ball type fittings.

All I'm seeing is crap like this:

they are all junk, buy a full size one with a 24" hose.

Scottl · Nov 18, 2020

My number one grease gun is a full size pistol grip one made in USA by Lincoln. Naturally it is an older one.

My experiences with non-USA products (other than European) has been spotty quality with some OK but much of it crap. For that reason I treasure my older tools and often buy older well cared for made in USA used when I need something.

Despite what our resident ChiCom troll would have us believe, the relationship with China has been DEVASTATING for us as a nation. We have suffered everything from contaminated baby formula and wallboard to the latest "gift", COVID-19. They have stolen our jobs, intellectual property and even for some our health. In all of this they have been aided and abetted by traitors within our nation who sold us out.

And for those unaware of it, many of those newly built factories to which our manufacturing jobs went were finance with U.S. investment capital courtesy of the greedy oligarch of Wall Street. That is the dirty secret of Communist China. Far from abandoning communism, their "capitalist enterprise" was built on western money, enriching the party faithful in the process.

Terry Keeley · Nov 18, 2020

digger doug said:
Form a company "Terry's Billet MiniGrease guns, anodized in all your favorite flavors, Military grade alloys, Approved for Lucas Grease"

Make a run of them, insert a hardened drill bushing for the cylinder.

Lol, I hear ya but does EVERYTHING sold today havta be JUNK?

I guess the real question is why doesn't the market support some sort of middle ground? There only seems to be a choice between total crap and extreme high end.

The Wanner is obviously top of the line for about $125: Products Small One-hand Pumps mINI WANNER(R)

Terry Keeley · Nov 18, 2020

Scottl said:
My number one grease gun is a full size pistol grip one made in USA by Lincoln. Naturally it is an older one.

My experiences with non-USA products (other than European) has been spotty quality with some OK but much of it crap. For that reason I treasure my older tools and often buy older well cared for made in USA used when I need something.

Despite what our resident ChiCom troll would have us believe, the relationship with China has been DEVASTATING for us as a nation. We have suffered everything from contaminated baby formula and wallboard to the latest "gift", COVID-19. They have stolen our jobs, intellectual property and even for some our health. In all of this they have been aided and abetted by traitors within our nation who sold us out.

And for those unaware of it, many of those newly built factories to which our manufacturing jobs went were finance with U.S. investment capital courtesy of the greedy oligarch of Wall Street. That is the dirty secret of Communist China. Far from abandoning communism, their "capitalist enterprise" was built on western money, enriching the party faithful in the process.

China's not the problem, WE are the problem.

Ever been in a Walmart or a Horror Freight on a Saturday afternoon?

Hundreds upon hundreds of mindless idiots wallowing at the trough of corporate greed.

China and India are just the latest to fill the need. Remember when "Made in Japan" was crap?

Steve's Hobby · Nov 18, 2020

Terry Keeley said:
China's not the problem, WE are the problem.

Ever been in a Walmart or a Horror Freight on a Saturday afternoon?

Hundreds upon hundreds of mindless idiots wallowing at the trough of corporate greed.

China and India are just the latest to fill the need. Remember when "Made in Japan" was crap?

So true, years ago with my sister company we did some work on a big, big house in BH-as in BH Hillbilly's, not to disclose who owned it, however starts with an H, ends with a F, so go figure, house was so huge you would not believe it and...100 plus contractors, yes thats not a misprint, working on it-so the rich get richer-quality goes south-as Human Being's we are drawn to a sale, 50% off that kind of thing just human nature...Why is it that I have a 1943 American Pacemaker that still cuts to a thou...I'll tell you why: The old timers had pride in their work-and came up through the ranks...When I decided on a CNC machine ten years ago-I read, and re-read all the feedback on this site-well...guess what I went with a Mazak QT-200, I certainly could have gone much cheaper, but since I am not rich-I wanted something that would last...Believe me it was a big learning curve-but I got the help I needed from the folks at Mazak and ten years later the machine turns out quality parts-and I am so hooked on the quality that now I went more into hook and bought a QT-250MY-again more machine than I needed, a very, very steep learning curve, but when I learn it...it will be turning out quality parts...if you want cheap you will generally get it...with quality there is always a cost...

Terry Keeley · Nov 24, 2020

I ended up getting one of the Abnox "Hand Push Pumps" through a local distributor, it came from Switzerland in a week.

Very happy with it, it oozes quality and not bad at about US$45:

Hand Push Pump 120 cm3

Decent quality mini grease gun?

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